fishingthenorthcoast | Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest

Eureka Tuna Fleet Finally Gets Its Turn!

Robert Waddell of Fortuna hold a nice albacore tuna caught Sunday out of Eureka. Eureka boats finally got in on the bite and enjoyed a weekend of wide-open tuna action. Photo courtesy of Melissa Shifflett

The Eureka fleet finally got its shot at the albacore over the weekend — and they made it count. Flat seas, warm water, and a zone known to be holding fish came together perfectly. Charters and a convoy of sport boats ran about 40 miles southwest of the jaws on Saturday and Sunday and absolutely loaded up. Scores hit as high as 50 fish per boat, with most reporting 20–30, and plenty of albies pushing 15–20 pounds. Many boats also saw bruisers topping 30 pounds coming over the rails.

After a break on Monday, a smaller fleet returned Tuesday to find good fishing still on tap. One boat heading south to Eureka stopped roughly 23 miles off Trinidad and quickly stacked 12 big tuna aboard.

Looking ahead, Saturday may be the next shot for anglers who haven’t had their fill, with many eyeing the water off Trinidad. After watching other ports enjoy wide-open albacore action, it’s finally Eureka’s turn — and the bite didn’t disappoint.

Weekend marine forecast
A long period, NW swell of 5-6 is forecast to fill in Friday morning. Combined seas may reach 7-9 feet by Friday with the combination of the swell and the wind waves. Sea conditions are expected to ease slightly Saturday afternoon through Sunday as another weather system enters the area easing marine winds.

As of Thursday, out 10 nautical miles, the Friday forecast is calling for winds out of the north 5 to 10 knots with north waves 5 feet at six seconds and northwest 2 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday is calling for winds from the west up to 5 knots and north waves 2 feet at five seconds and northwest 5 feet at 13 seconds. Sunday, the winds will be from the north 10 to 15 knots and west waves 5 feet at 11 seconds and south 1 foot at 13 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Low flow river closures in effect since Sept. 1
As Sept. 1, All North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith, and Van Duzen were closed to fishing. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. You can also find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast.
NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2026.

Pacific halibut quota update
There hasn’t been any updates to the Pacific halibut quota in three weeks. As of August 17, California’s share of Area 2A’s quota, which includes Washington and Oregon, is at 41 percent, with just 16,176 net pounds harvested against the 39,280 net pound quota. (500 pounds are set aside for the area south of Point Arena). The Pacific halibut fishery will run through Nov. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. To view the latest catch projection information, visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/pacific-halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking.

CDPH Advises Consumers Not to Eat Sport-Harvested Bivalve Shellfish from Humboldt County
Statement from CDPH:
“The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is advising consumers not to eat sport-harvested mussels, clams, scallops, or oysters from Humboldt County. This warning does not apply to commercially sold mussels, clams, scallops, and oysters from approved sources.

Dangerous levels of domoic acid, also referred to as amnesic shellfish poisoning, have been detected in mussels from Humboldt County. The naturally occurring domoic acid can cause illness or death in humans. Cooking does not destroy the toxin.

This shellfish safety notification is in addition to the annual mussel quarantine. The annual quarantine prohibits the sport-harvest of mussels for human consumption and applies to all species of mussels harvested for human consumption along the California coast, as well as all bays and estuaries, and will continue through at least October 31.

This warning does not apply to commercially sold mussels, clams, scallops, and oysters from approved sources. State law permits only state-certified commercial shellfish harvesters or dealers to sell these products. Shellfish sold by certified harvesters and dealers are subject to frequent mandatory testing to monitor for biotoxins.”

You can get the most current information on shellfish advisories and quarantines by calling CDPH’s toll-free Shellfish Information Line at (800) 553-4133 or viewing the recreational bivalve shellfish advisory interactive map. For additional information, please visit the CDPH Marine Biotoxin Monitoring web page.

Trinidad launch closing for the season
The launch facility will close after Saturday, Sept. 13 for the season. The floating dock and moorings will be removed starting Monday.

The Oceans:
Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, excellent ocean conditions allowed the boats to spread out over the weekend. “Tuna, halibut, and rockfish were all available,” said Klassen. “Tuna was probably the most popular given the conditions. A few of the charters ran Saturday and did really well, with up to 50 tuna landed. And Sunday was just as good. Most of the action was southwest off Cape Mendocino. The Pacific halibut bite was good too, with the bite happening between Eureka and Trinidad. There were plenty of boats that made their way to the Cape for rockfish too. The fishing down there was excellent with lots of lingcod and a wide variety of healthy rockfish.”

Ron Circe with a 27lb Halibut caught on the sand dab rig caught over the weekend out of Trinidad.

Shelter Cove
“The rock fishing was pretty wide-open as we were able to travel out to deeper waters,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “The lingcod bite was pretty good out there as well. The tuna fishing was hit and miss this week, pretty good one day, and tough the next. We had 50 Tuesday and the trip before that (Saturday) we had 11. The fish seem to be spread out and finding out where the schools are located has been the tricky part. We’ve spent most of our time heading southwest 20-30 miles, just inside of the Knoll. It looks like we may be done for a week or so, but maybe a slight chance we get out one day this weekend.”

Crescent City
“The rockfish and lingcod bite are still going strong,” said Will Moore of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “We’re seeing some really nice lings come in now that we can fish all depths. The Pacific halibut bite remains slow, with not much in the way of effort. California halibut is slowing down, but a few are being caught by boats trolling South Beach. A couple boats ran long distance for tuna on Saturday and were skunked.”

Brookings
“Halibut, lingcod, crab and rockfish action is good out of Brookings, with calm weather expected this weekend,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Halibut fishing is best beyond 200 feet. The best crabbing is 90 to 100 feet. Lingcod are in shallow water.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Fishing for steelhead and salmon remains solid on the lower Klamath river. There’s a mix of adult salmon around, along with plenty of jacks. A few more adult steelhead have also showed up this week. Flows were dropping as of Thursday after increasing nearly 800 cfs from the rain earlier in the week. Fishing should remain excellent through the weekend.

Craig Vallely of Redding landed a nice Chinook salmon last Saturday on the Klamath River. Photo courtesy of Kenny Priest/Fishing the North Coast Guide Service

The daily bag limit is two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout per day on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers, with a possession limit of four. Anglers must have a Steelhead Report/Restoration Card in their possession while fishing for steelhead trout in anadromous waters. Both the Klamath and Trinity rivers are closed to the take and possession of Chinook salmon. More information, can be found here.

Chetco/Lower Rogue
According to Martin, salmon fishing has picked up in the Chetco estuary, where it’s still early in the season, but a mix of jacks and adults are being caught. “With slower fishing on the Rogue, more guides have arrived on the Chetco. The incoming tide has fished best. Morning low tides have led to grassy conditions the last few days until the tide pushes the debris upriver.

The Rogue is producing a mix of kings and coho salmon, but overall action is fair at best. Cooler weather has allowed many of the kings to blast upriver. Summer steelhead half-pounders also are moving up.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

North Coast Fishing Outlook: Tuna Takes the Spotlight

Arcata resident Brandi Easter holds a 50-pound Pacific halibut caught on Labor Day out of Eureka while fishing aboard the Reel Steel with Tim Klassen. Photo courtesy of Brandi Easter

It’s a great time to be a saltwater angler on the North Coast. Right now, the options are wide open — Pacific halibut, rockfish, and tuna. And this weekend, tuna will take center stage. With flat seas and warm water within range, boats from Shelter Cove to Crescent City will be making the run offshore in hopes of loading the decks. The season has been hit-or-miss so far, but anglers are optimistic this window could finally deliver the big numbers needed to top off freezers and canning jars before fall.

Halibut fishing has been up and down, but limits are still coming in. The favorable weekend forecast should give plenty of opportunity for those chasing a few more flatties. Rockfish action has been excellent all season, particularly around Cape Mendocino, with solid catches reported coastwide. Lingcod fishing has been steady as well, with a few giants taken off Reading Rock by the Trinidad fleet, and Crescent City continuing to live up to its reputation for consistent lings.

If you haven’t scratched your saltwater itch yet, this weekend is shaping up to be your best shot.

Weekend marine forecast
Excellent tuna conditions are on tap for the next few days, although light winds will be coming out of the south starting Sunday. Out 10 to 60 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 5 to 10 knots and waves out of the northwest 4 feet at six seconds and northwest 2 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday is calling for southwest winds up to 5 knots and waves west 2 feet at eight seconds and south 2 feet at 13 seconds. Sunday, winds will be out of the south 5 to 10 knots and waves southwest 2 feet at seven seconds and northwest 2 feet at 12 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

The Oceans:
Eureka
“We have some pretty good options out of Eureka for the next few days as the ocean conditions are looking excellent,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The Pacific halibut bite continues to be decent, but there doesn’t seem to be any real concentration of fish. I think they’re moving around a lot. As it’s been all season, you do really well one day, and the next it’s belly up. The rockfish bite is still really good at the Cape. And when the weather allows you to get to the spots where the lings live, that’s been good too. The big story will be the tuna for the next several days. Boats are planning on running starting Friday. The water looks to be about 30 to 35 miles from Eureka, and even closer out of Trinidad. The water coming from the south we know has fish in it, so hopefully we’ll see some good scores.”

Shelter Cove
Rock fishing was a little hit and miss this week according to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “One day it was really easy and the next day, we really had to work for them. Not many boats out this week due to weather, but it looks like we got some decent weather heading our way for the weekend. We should also get a shot at tuna the next few days.”

Crescent City
“We finally saw an uptick in Pacific halibut this week,” said Will Moore of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “We’ve seen seven or eight come in this week, with most coming off the reef in 250 to 350 feet of water. It sounds like they were a bit deeper than where the boats had been targeting them. The California halibut bite has slowed down along South Beach, but there’s been a couple Thresher sharks caught by guys trolling for halibut. Quite a few boats will be running for tuna this weekend as the conditions look excellent. A few boats ran last weekend roughly 50 miles and did really well. The rockfish and lingcod fishing are still producing easy limits. The all-depth regulations opened up some new water and we’re seeing some good grades of fish.”

Brookings
“Halibut fishing is peaking out of Brookings, with charters catching a fish per rod, with some two-fish limits being caught,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Pacific halibut season runs through Oct. 31. September is prime time, as the fish have migrated in close, to around 200 feet. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good, while sport crabbing is very good.”

North Coast river closures
All North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith, and Van Duzen were closed to fishing. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. You can also find river openings and closures online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Low-Flow/North-Coast.

NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2026.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The increased flows settle down over the weekend, and the fishing really turned on. There’s salmon, and a few steelhead, scattered throughout the lower river. Supposedly there are still quite a few fish hanging out in the estuary, so fishing should remain good for the next couple weeks, or longer.

Lower Rogue/Chetco
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay had some of its best days of the season this past week, although action is still hit and miss. “Hatchery and wild coho are now showing up, along with decent numbers of kings. The bite has been off and on, with a few good days per week, and plenty of slow fishing too. Lots of boats continue to fish the bay.
The Chetco estuary has produced some nice kings and jacks, but overall fishing remains slow, as the action typically doesn’t pick up until late September. A few kings a day are being caught.”

Coastal Rivers Could Use Some Rain

Nine-year-old Kai Mykham is all smiles after landing his first-ever steelhead while fishing the Mad River with his father Jeperson. Photo courtesy of Jeperson Mykham

It’s been nearly three weeks since we’ve seen any substantial precipitation, and most of the coastal rivers could sure use a good shot. Other than the main stem Eel and the Mad, which are both in great shape, all the rivers are now getting low, clear and in need of a good blowout. The Smith and Chetco clear the quickest, and have the biggest need for rain. The South Fork Eel and Van Duzen remain fishable, but could use rain. It should be noted that all our rivers are currently holding a decent number of winter steelhead. But a few inches of rain will do wonders. Not only will the increased flows allow steelhead to make their way upriver to their spawning tributaries, it will also bring in the fresh fish from the ocean.

Weather outlook
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, we’ll see mostly dry conditions for the next seven days with the exception of potential light rain or snow late Friday night into Saturday morning for parts of central and southern Lake County. “Chilly nights and mornings for this weekend. Potential for gusty winds return to the area Friday through Sunday, focusing on the coast Friday, and then including interior locations Saturday into Sunday.”

Mad River Steelhead Reward Program Returns for 2024-25
For the Mad River steelhead fishery in the upcoming 2025 season, the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will once again attach reward tags to a small subset of hatchery-origin (i.e., adipose-clipped) adult steelhead upon their return to freshwater. This is in effort to estimate the steelhead harvest on the Mad River. According to John Deibner-Hanson, a Northern Region Environmental Scientist for CDFW, a number of fish will be captured in the lower river using tangle nets and affixed with spaghetti tags worth $20, $50 or $100 rewards. Once the tags are applied on their backs behind the dorsal fin, the fish will be released.

Upon capturing a reward tag, anglers will need to follow one of the methods outlined below to answer a series of questions about how the tag was acquired (e.g., caught on fish, found on dead fish, found on bank). Anglers will have until April 15, 2025 to report tags and claim rewards, after which reward tags from this season will expire. To attain accurate harvest estimates, we must assume 100% tag return rates on harvested steelhead, so getting the word out for our tagging program will be vital to its success.

There are three ways an angler may report their tag for reward:

Scan the QR code posted on message boards and signage around the river or carried by CDFW creelers
Visit: https://forms.office.com/g/jjWnw9t7Ss
Return the tag to CDFW at: 50 Ericson Ct., Arcata, CA

Using options 1 and 2 above, anglers will not submit the physical tag, only needing to provide the unique tag number and answering the accompanying questions online. For this reason, anglers are strongly urged to retain the tag after submittal until all rewards have been claimed, as only one reward will be paid for each uniquely numbered tag. For questions, please email MadRiverRewards@wildlife.ca.gov.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures were open to fishing. This includes the Mad, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek, Van Duzen, Mattole and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River are all now open to fishing. More information can be found here.

Mad
The Mad is in good shape and steelhead are finally showing up according to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors. “Excellent conditions drew plenty of bank anglers and boats this week and the fishing was good,” said Kelly. “Steelhead are currently spread out from top to bottom, and conditions should continue to get better throughout the week.” As of Thursday, it was right at 7.25 feet and holding good color. If you’re looking to catch a steelhead, it’s a good option.

Main stem Eel
The main stem dropped into shape this week and is nice and green. It was running at 3,800 cubic feet per second as of Thursday and should be in great shape through the weekend and likely through the end of the month. There are some steelhead around but the bite isn’t wide open.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork is running at just under a 1,000 cfs at Miranda as of Thursday. It’s been in really good shape for over a week, and has provided some pretty good fishing from the top to the bottom. It should continue to fish through the weekend, but will continue to clear, making fishing a little tougher. It was fairly crowded over the weekend, but has since thinned out.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was down to 290 cfs Thursday and is in great shape. Catch reports are hard to come by, but it’s a great option if you’re looking for a spot to bank fish.

Smith River
Flows were less than 1,800 cfs (6.9 feet) on the Jed Smith gauge Thursday. Fishing has been tough as the river is low, clear and snaggy. Fishing pressure has been very light as a lot of anglers have moved to other rivers. There are some fish around but again, you’ll need to be stealthy.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The Chetco is low and clear, with a handful of steelhead a day being caught,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Plunkers are landing a fish or two a day at Social Security Bar, but most shore-based anglers are going home fish less. Drift boats also are reporting low catch rates, with a few fish a day being landed. Trees in the river at Emily Creek, above Ice Box and below Miller Bar could making drifting anywhere above Loeb Park difficult this weekend. A few late salmon also surprised anglers this week on the lower river. Rain isn’t expected until the very end of the month. The Elk and Sixes are low and clear, while the Rogue also is slow, although a few fish a day are being caught by boaters anchoring a running plugs.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, the lingcod, rockfish and crab action has been good out of Brookings on calm weather days. “Windy weather is in the forecast this weekend.”